WWE Payback 2015 Review: Biggest Stars of the Night

When reviewing what happened at the WWE Payback 2015 pay-per-view, it's important to look at the individual pieces of the puzzle rather than only focusing on the sum of the parts.

Whether you thought a certain match was good or bad depends on the elements that went into creating that particular segment, and none of those are more important than the wrestlers themselves.

But in WWE, not everyone can be a winner. There will always be the people at the top and the people that will be forgotten.

With Superstars like John Cena and Rusev putting their dignity on the line, Sheamus and King Barrett declaring supremacy over Dolph Ziggler and Neville, Bray Wyatt's fascination with Ryback and four men fighting over the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, who took advantage of the opportunity and made a name for themselves?

Factoring in things such as the importance to the card, wins vs. losses, what went down during the match and how much WWE has been building these people up, which people stand above the rest?

It's time once more to break down the biggest stars of the night for Payback 2015!

5. Lana

Although she did not wrestle a match of her own and only did one thing during the entire night, Lana was still a big presence nonetheless.

Not only did she receive a good reaction from the crowd just for standing there, she is also responsible for the end of the I Quit match between John Cena and Rusev.

It's clear that WWE is interested in pushing Lana going forward and she won't just be disbanding from Rusev and then fading into obscurity, so Monday night will undoubtedly be used as a means to get the duo closer to breaking up.

Lana quitting on Rusev's behalf will be used as an important way to keep his credibility and garner some sympathy for The Ravishing Russian going forward.

4. The New Day

Credit: WWE.com

The tag team division has never been the top of the food chain in the company, but that doesn't stop some acts from standing out now and again.

During the pre-show of Payback, there were times where the audience was chanting "New Day sucks" unprovoked, showing that the trio was on the mind of the crowd. They could have just as easily been singing "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" to reference Bray Wyatt or something else of the sort.

The 2-out-of-3 Falls Tag Team Championship match was easily one of the best of the night, prompting the crowd to continue with their support with multiple "this is awesome" chants throughout.

Tyson Kidd and Cesaro are equally responsible for having that great contest, but The New Day get the spot on this list above them because they were victorious in retaining their titles.

This is an incredibly fun act that is only getting better week after week.

3. John Cena

As always, John Cena finds his way on this list for many of the same reasons that occur time and time again.

He's the poster boy of the entire company and will never be booked as not being a focal point, which already boosts him up to the echelon where he's almost guaranteed to be one of the biggest stars in the eyes of the WWE Universe.

Factoring in that he went into the match as the United States champion and was able to keep up his undefeated streak in I Quit matches by retaining his title just helps make the case for him being rated so high here.

Your mileage may vary on whether or not the match was entertaining enough to justify that being another accolade, but even if it wasn't, the victory itself is highly valuable.

Cena kept up his legacy, kept his title and kept the trend going of being someone that WWE will promote heavily on the next edition of Raw.

2. Dean Ambrose

Credit: WWE.com

Something needs to be said for the amount of focus that was put on Dean Ambrose, considering how he wasn't even a part of this title match when it was first announced.

The Lunatic Fringe could have easily become half of a throwaway midcard filler match for the card, but the cards fell in a different way and he ended up as arguably the person with the second-biggest amount of spotlight on him.

His inclusion was instrumental in the most fun part of the match, when The Shield momentarily reunited.

When it was down to just he and Reigns, the crowd was audibly cheering "let's go Ambrose" instead of supporting Reigns.

Sure, he didn't come out on top, but that's OK. Many within the WWE Universe felt as though it was obvious that Ambrose was only included to be the fall guy and take the loss.

Instead of being the sacrificial lamb, though, he shined bright and surpassed those expectations.

Look out for Ambrose to be one of the forefront choices for winning the Money in the Bank contract for 2015 next month.

1. Seth Rollins

Credit: WWE.com

As always, a lot of points toward this list are based on your position in the company already. Seeing as how Seth Rollins went into the main event as the WWE World Heavyweight champion and retained the title, that puts him toward the top right off the start.

More points are awarded to him for being the primary focal point of the match, too. Everybody revolved around him not just because he was the champion, but because of his relationship with the participants.

Without Rollins being the character that he is, there would be no story about Kane and J&J Security protecting him, nor would there be a history to build from with Randy Orton or the background with The Shield members Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns.

Rollins has been on a roll for a year now, and the momentum doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon.

Who do you think were the biggest stars of the evening? For that matter, who were the biggest losers from Payback?

Tell us your thoughts and your rankings in the comments below!

Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.